Posts: 9

Topic: Orient at home.....part deux

1-2 Att: 1352'I stopped counting at 36''36 what?''36 times I heard the 'f' word'I'm going to have to stop her going down the front for the last couple of minutes of the game if this form carries on. The angry mob had descended on the home dugout at full-time. And the language was colourful to say the least. I got down there sharpish from Row M to whisk her away but she was grinning and took it all in her stride.Heath toughed it out by the tunnel but I reckon he knows he's on borrowed time (I say that but the message boards reckon the Chairman is too tight to sack him as he'd have to pay him out). 'He's got to go hasn't he?' was her take on it. I suspect some of that was born of hearing many of faithful calling for Heath's head during the game, kids like to copy what they hear 'grown-ups' say after all, but even as a novice she can see that he can't get this team working.If anything was going to test the resolve of the 8-year old non-league football fan in their first season, then arguably the worst performance I've seen by any football team was probably it. She'd been allowed to go as a 'treat'. Some treat. I know I've spoken about testing resolve before, but a cold Tuesday night at The Shay watching a team who couldn't string a couple of passes together could break the spirit of the most loyal follower. They've won twice now in 21 matches. What a first season for her.They were woeful. Truly woeful. I genuinely can't recall seeing a team as bad. It became comical after a while. When the fourth official had 5 on the board, she joked that we were getting 5 weeks of added time. It felt like it.Some of the defending was straight out of the Sunday League. Town are afraid of possession. I'd love to see the stats for missed passes. In terms of tactics it's never much beyond hoof it up to Denton. And not much else happens after that. The only glimmer of hope came in the shape of Shaun Tuton who's back at Town on loan from Barnsley. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Comparatively quick feet, reading the movement of other players, comfortable on the ball. When Town equalised there was a brief period where he seemed to playing on his own and trying to take on the whole of the Orient team. He had to. Town's ineptitude was matched by that of the ref. Nobody could blame the result on him, but he was shocking which only added to the home fans' frustration. Town seemed to have a decent shout for a penalty in the first half for a push on Denton that we could see from the stand but he missed from a few yards. Annoying but, like I say, not to blame for the loss.Orient have turned their season around and started a slow climb up the league. They're 17th (of 24) after tonight, jumping above Halifax who've slipped to 19th. Barrow are just above the relegation zone in 20th, 3 points behind Town but with two games in hand. It's getting serious.Orient were no Brazil but were made to look half decent by Town. Sadly, they brought plenty of what's bad about football higher up the leagues as well.First real diving I've seen in this League. First players rolling around as if shot. First ones calling for cards. And when they went 2-1 up, time-wasting undertaken with military precision. Not an easy team to like. They brought a fair few considering the distance midweek. They'll be delighted with the win in what was a hugely important game for both teams. A lot of their fans were already on trains north when the fixture was cancelled 10 days or so ago. Some had travelled up the night before and stayed over. The victory will have been all the more sweeter for those that had shelled out for that game.We still had a laugh and on the walk back to the car discussed whether we'll make the trip to Wrexham a week on Saturday.It's Dagenham and Redbridge at home this Saturday. Could be very, very painful indeed....but we'll be there.

Last edited by Travis Bickle (Wed 31 Jan 2018 12:06 am)

She’s the main man in the office in the city and she treats me like I’m just another lackey, but I can put a tennis racket up against my face and pretend that I am Kendo Nagasaki...

Re: Orient at home.....part deux

zicoslovechild wrote:

You might be interested in this, 7 minutes in for about a minute.Sadly Nairn drank himself to death within a few years.

Cheers for that. Amazing to see parts of 'Fax back then. She goes to youth theatre at Square Chapel (at 10.25 on the film), just had a massive refurb, derelict back then. Funny how old relatively recent footage looks. Then you realise how old you actually are and that it's not that recent after all.......

She’s the main man in the office in the city and she treats me like I’m just another lackey, but I can put a tennis racket up against my face and pretend that I am Kendo Nagasaki...